JUNE BUDDING. 



The stocks should be small, not over one-half inch 

 caliper — one-fourth or one-third is better — in free 

 flow of sap, and possessed of leaves or small leafy 

 branches below the insertion of the bud, so that 

 when the stock above the bud is cut away to start 

 the bud, it may not die for want of leaves. I have 

 lost heavily by having the bud put in too near the 

 ground in young seedling peaches. The great heat 

 of the season — about mid-June here in Texas — 

 soured the sap of the stock before new leaves could 

 be developed, and the stock died. At least five or 

 six leaves should be left on a stock below the bud. 



The bud is cut from a scion having buds just ma- 

 ture enough to show the tip of the bud, and in which 

 the wood is mature enough not to break or snap. 

 The scion or "stick" should be taken from a 

 healthy, vigorous tree, and should be nearly as large 

 as the stock to be budded. The bud is taken from 

 the scion in the following manner : Cut with a very 

 sharp, thin blade, beginning one-half inch below 

 bud to one-half inch above, and at a depth about 

 one-third the way through the scion, leaving the 

 slice attached at upper end. Then with a dextrous 

 half turn of the scion between thumb and finger, 

 with the edge of the blade, bearing on the scion 

 only heavily enough to cut just through the bark at 

 upper end of slice, the bud is ready to take off. 

 Then catch the bud and slice between thumb and 

 finger, deftly twitching the slice, twisting downward 

 on the scion, pinching gently on the edges of the 

 slice, which will cause the bit of bark bearing the 

 bud to slip off the slice of wood still held to scion 



by its upper end. Still 

 holding to the bud, in- 

 sert its acute lower end 

 under the lips of bark 

 (see Fig. 3), raised by 

 a deft turn of the blade 

 on the stock previously 

 to taking off the bud 

 (see Fig. 2). Hold to 

 the bit of leaf-stem be- 

 tween the thumb and 

 finger, which was left 

 at the bud when trim- 

 ming the leaves from 

 the "stick" of buds, 

 and gently, steadily 

 press the bud down, making it lift the bark of stock 



Fig. I. Opening matrix on stock. 



as it goes in. Push down till the entire piece of 

 bark with bud in its center is resting under bark of 

 stock with sap-face of bud-bark resting against sap- 

 face of stock (see Fig. 4). Now tie with any conve- 

 nient string — 

 bass bark, pre- 

 pared strips of 

 corn-husk, jute 

 yarn raveled 

 from burlaps, 

 or r a ffi a — s o 

 that the tie will 

 not loosen, and 

 the operation is 

 complete. 



The matrix 

 on the stock for 

 receiving the 

 bud is prepared 

 by taking off a 

 few leaves, if in 

 the way, where 

 the bud is to be 

 inserted : then, 

 with the blade, 

 with edge per- 

 pendicularly 



Fig. 2. A"Sticlc of Buds," prepared for Over the center 

 twitcliinif off witii thumb and finger, for , . f t- V, 



inserting in stock ; and manner of holding line 01 toe 

 the bud. , , J 



stock, pressed 



just through the bark, draw up one inch ; then set 

 the blade crosswise of the perpendicular cut at top 

 and diagonal to stock, and press just through the 

 bark and give a little turn of the wrist to the right, 

 causing the blade to lift the two lips of the matrix 

 (see Fig. i). The illustrations show the operations 

 better than pen can describe them. 



No one need expect to bud very successfully with- 

 out considerable practice. An expert budder will 

 insert in nursery row in ten hours' work, when 

 stocks are trimmed and scions are brought to hand, 

 from 2,000 to 3,000 buds, and sometimes even more, 

 in peach-budding. 



It is very important that the tier keep close upon 

 the budder, and that the buds be tied-in closely and 

 the tie secured from slipping ; but the point of bud 

 should never be tied directly upon. 



In June budding, the tie should be cut loose in 

 six to eight days after the buds are inserted, by 



